What is AMD?

AMD is a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. Central vision is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving. AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. AMD causes no pain. In some cases, AMD advances so slowly that people notice little change in their vision. In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in both eyes. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older. Macular degeneration in the elderly is a major cause of blindness. Its prevalence increases to 30% in patients 75 to 85 years of age. AMD has two forms: wet and dry. The iWand will be used to treat the wet, more severe form of the disease.

Our Method

Liberty Vision has developed a radiation therapy delivery system called the iWand which enables practitioners to deliver a prescribed dose of radiation to the macula of affected patients. The iWand features a disc-shaped radioactive element at the distal end of the hand-held delivery system. In addition, the iWand is able to emit multiple points of light from the periphery of the tip that are visible through the sclera (as seen through the pupil). These are used to positively locate the radiation treatment zone relative to the macula. The key benefit this provides to the doctor is an accurate, safe and effective system for delivering radiation to a targeted zone defined by the shape of radiation source and clearly positionable by viewing the peripheral light points.